Global Voices » Venezuela

Spanish-Language Digital Magazine on Using ICTs in Human Rights

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:43:09 +0000

Digital magazine Revista Calle Sol 28 [es] looks at how human rights activists can use information and communication technologies (ICTs). The issue includes the article “The Right to the Internet” by Venezuelan journalist and Global Voices author Luis Carlos Díaz on the use and impact of blogs and social networks.

Venezuela: Reflections on Consumption and Advertising

Silvia Viñas — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:26:56 +0000

The blog El Ultimatum Hiperboreo [es] shares some thoughts on the western culture of consumption in Venezuela as seen through the advertising that seems to fill the pages of one of the most important Sunday magazines in the country.

Venezuela: Photos of Armed Children Spark Controversy Online

Marianna Breytman — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:02:11 +0000

Venezuelan social networks exploded with reactions after photos of a group of children posing with rifles [es] in one of Caracas' most representative neighborhoods, Barrio 23 de Enero, went viral. The photos, taken and posted by the “La Piedrita” collective on their Facebook page [es], spread rapidly and generated a multitude of opinions, mainly ones of rejection.

Image via Eduardo Ponte @acaballoregalao on yfrog

In his post “En Venezuela Intentamos Construir Paz” (In Venezuela, We Try To Build Peace) [es], Luis Carlos Díaz shares other links that help contextualize the story and adds:

Un grupo de niños de una parroquia caraqueña fue usado para un acto político, portando armas de guerra y violando más de una ley bajo la mirada complaciente de autoridades y cuerpos de seguridad. Más allá de la obvia desviación ideológica-religiosa en las paredes, se cometieron hechos punibles con un grupo de niños. El Gobierno hoy manifestó su rechazo, pero es una medida estética en tanto permita su impunidad.

A group of children from a parish church in Caracas was used for a political act, carrying weapons of war [es] and violating more than one law under the obliging glance of authorities and security officials [es]. Well beyond the obvious ideological-religious deviation on the walls, they committed punishable acts with a group of children. The government demonstrated its contempt today [es], but this remains an aesthetic measure so long as it permits their impunity.

Meanwhile, Ludmila Vinogradoff comments on her post “Los Niños de la Revolución” (Children of the Revolution) [es]:

En la parroquia caraqueña donde fueron fotografiados los niños existen varios grupos radicales que dicen defender al gobierno de Chávez, amenazando con tomar las armas en caso de que el mandatario salga del poder. La pregunta que se hacen todos es; ¿quién financia a los grupos radicales y les suministra las armas de guerra?.

Various radical groups exist in the Caracas parish where the children were photographed that defend Chávez's government, threatening to take up arms in case the leader leaves his position of power. The question everyone is asking is, who is financing these radical groups and supplying them with weapons of war?

Days later, the collective filmed a video in which they sustained that their activities did not look to train children to use weapons. Nevertheless, other YouTube users highlighted the fact that one of the members passed by with a weapon hidden in the back of the shot, as well as the presence of the video's spokeswoman in the photos in question.

The photos were also a point of discussion in the media and a start-off point for a march organized by the same collective, La Piedrita, through which they demanded respect for the children in the photographs. According to posters that the collective shows in the images shared [es] on their Twitter account, “…the only thing that the children carried was the Constitution.”

Similarly, they responded to the media saying the children were not carrying real weapons and that it was all part of a “theatrical play.” Reactions on Twitter discredited the statement.

Ytzel Pérez (@ytzelpérez) [es] was one of the users who criticized the collective's arguments, and Eduardo Ponte (@acaballoregalao) [es] posted his thoughts under the hashtag #insólito [es]:

@ytzelpérez: Buenos días a todo mi TL, sorprendida ahora según y q los Niños d la Piedrita estaban haciendo una “obra d Teatro” eso no se los cree nadie!

@ytzelpérez: Good morning to all of my TL, surprised now that, according to la Piedtrita, the children were putting on a “play.” No one believes that!

@acaballoregalao: INSÓLITO: La Piedrita asegura que los fusiles M-16 eran de plástico y que los niños hacian una obra de teatro #FAIL

@acaballoregalao: OUTRAGEOUS: La Piedrita assures everyone that the M-16 rifles were plastic and that the children were putting on a play. #FAIL

Ministerial representatives and personalities, as well as members of civil and non-governmental organizations communicated their rejection of children's incitement in armed conflicts. However, it is unlikely that this debate will end soon.

For many, these images have been used to manipulate public opinion against the government. For others, the images represent a warning in terms of the resources and the limits of pro-Chávez groups which the government could use alternatively from the Armed Forces. The fate of those responsible from the La Piedrita collective before the authorities of the Presidential Commission for the Control of Arms, Ammunition, and Disarmament [es] is yet to be seen.

Venezuela: Hugo Chávez's Daughter Stirs up Social Networks

Laura Vidal — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:11:12 +0000

With the hashtag #Rosinesing [es] you can follow the reactions to a controversial photograph that President Hugo Chavez's daughter published on Twitter where she is using a wad of US dollars as a fan. Many comments reflect the outrage of those who must go through lengthy and cumbersome procedures to get dollars since the 2003 exchange controls that prevent Venezuelans from accessing foreign currencies. Lechuga Verde [es] posts the original photo and numerous, creative versions made by various netizens.

Venezuela: Banners for Thought

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:24:03 +0000

After the displaying of annonymous banners in Caracas, which raised questions about the upcoming elections and other issues, the hashtag #pregúntate [es] (”ask yourself”) was created to continue the discussion on Twitter. You can see photos and more in the blog Twitter Venezuela [es] by Roger Zet.

Venezuela: The Essence of African Music in Videos

Chellsy Alis Manning — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:19:01 +0000

Venezuela’s African origins can be strongly felt in the music and culture of the country’s coastal regions. The tradition is great and takes on many forms. As such, with each beating of the Venezuelan drum there is a connection with the coast, the beach, the santería, their celebrations and dances. The different forms of expression vary greatly with each having its own characteristics.

Social networking websites play an important role in helping people to become more familiar with the drum festivals. Citizen media sites, particularly YouTube, feature videos of the music and dancing performed during events such as family parties, national celebrations or weekends on the beach. Here are some examples:

In the video titled ‘Afro-Venezuelans’, unique5589 explains the origins of some of the African influences in Latin America – one of the main themes of this YouTube channel.

There are many occasions throughout the year where you can hear this type of music being played in various different ways. The instruments and the style of dance can change according to each region. Watching a few videos on YouTube would be a good start in getting to know the vast world of Afro-Venezuelan music. The videos enable you to experience the most deeply-rooted and profound customs of the mestizo culture in Venezuela.

A deeper search among citizen media websites will produce a vast amount of videos recording the different types of musical expression. The following videos show regional differences in dances, rhythms and the types of drum that are used:

Drums from the central northern region of Aragua, shared by malajunta:

7 Chimbagueles; a particular type of drum that is played whilst seated to celebrate the feastday of Saint Benedict, shared by Adrián Herrera

Drums from Naiguata, a northern coastal village, shared by Genuinos Venezolanos:

Calypso drums from the Antilles Islands. The video shared by Jameg556 [es] explains the history of these instruments and presents examples of the rhythms that can be produced:

Finally, the Venezuelan Christmas tradition: the bass drum – the sound you are most likely to hear during the celebrations in December. Originally from the west of the country, the rhythms can be heard across the country during the Christmas period. In the video shared by Fools942, you can clearly see the uses of this type of bass drum.

The image “Tambores de Curiepe” from Flickr user danielito311 is used under licence Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Latin America: Museum Releases Digital Archive of 20th-Century Art

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:36:22 +0000

The International Center for Arts of the Americas (ICCA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has released a digital archive of 20th-century Latin American and Latino art, which, “is now available, free of charge, to the research and teaching community as well as to the public at large.” Culture magazine Ñ [es] briefly interviewed Mari Carmen Ramírez, the project's director.

A Guide to Crowdsourcing in Latin America

L. Finch — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:16:36 +0000

Crowdsourcing, also known as “mass collaboration,” allows anyone with an Internet connection to generate useful content for the masses. In Latin America, numerous crowdsourcing projects have arisen that respond to the various needs and emergencies that the continent is facing, such as Heroreports [en], which geotags acts of kindness in Mexico, or LluviasVe [en], which maps events caused by strong rains in Venezuela. Crowdsourcing has become a fundamental tool in Latin America to foment and utilize citizen participation in an effort to inform.

On January 14, 2012, Jacinto Lajas published “A guide to crowdsourcing in Latin America [es] on Periodismo Ciudadano, an online blog that hosts discussion and debate about citizen journalism. Below we have republished the article under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Spain license (CC BY-NC 3.0).

Americas Society (AS) is the leading forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foment understanding of current political, social, and economic issues that Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada are facing, as well as to augment public awareness of and appreciation for the diversity of the New World's cultural heritage and the importance of interrelationships between the diverse peoples of the Americas.

Within this mission falls the logical observation of changes effected by technological advances in the Americas, and in that same spirit comes the publication of a guide to crowdsourcing in Latin America, highlighting projects that have developed in different countries throughout the region.

The preface to the list of projects explains how crowdsourcing has become a popular method of citizen participation in compliance with the law, public health, consumer rights, and social issues in Latin America, one of the regions with the largest growth of Internet penetration in the world:

El número de usuarios de Internet creció a 112 millones en enero de 2011 –un aumento del 15 por ciento respecto al año anterior. En Brasil, Colombia, México y Venezuela, las tasas de crecimiento del uso de Internet aumentaron en un 20 por ciento o más durante el mismo período. También va en aumento es el uso del teléfono de última generación: en 2011, uno de cada cinco teléfonos celulares vendidos en América Latina fue un smartphone y, en 2010, las ventas de estos teléfonos en la región aumentaron en un 117 por ciento. Con un mayor acceso a Internet, más latinoamericanos están utilizando las redes sociales: 114.500.000 personas utilizaban sitios como Facebook y Twitter en junio de 2011.

The number of Internet users grew to 112 million in January 2011 -an increase of 15 percent over the previous year. In Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, the growth rate of Internet use increased 20 percent or more during the same period. An increase in high-end telephone use also was observed: in 2011, one out of every five mobile phones sold in Latin America was a smartphone, and in 2010, sales of these telephones in the region grew by 117 percent. With such widespread access to the Internet, more Latin Americans are using social networks: 114.5 million people utilized websites such as Facebook and Twitter in June 2011.

A promising prospect. Just as the proliferation of participatory projects –some mentioned here [es]– is in Latin America. Below you will find the list of projects included in the guide. You can find more information about each project in the original publication in Americas Society [en].

Argentina
- Mapa del Narcotráfico [es]
- Mapa de la Inseguridad [es]
Brasil
Chile
Costa Rica
- LocalCrime.org [available in en, es, fr]
- Quien Paga Manda [es]
Honduras
- Honduras Health Mapping [en, available in 24 languages]
México
Panamá
- Mi Panamá Transparente [es]
Perú
- Que No Te Roben [es]
Venezuela
- Quiero Paz [es]
- Victeams [es]

Venezuela: Soledad Ramírez, One of Caracas' Heroes

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:44:06 +0000

Ten years ago, Soledad Ramírez created the Rincón Infantil San Edmundo [es], a center that today helps 200 at-risk children from Minas de Baruta in Caracas. Journalist and blogger Mirelis Morales highlights Soledad's work in a video in her blog about Caracas [es].

Venezuela: Childhood, Dance, Folklore… and Propaganda

Laura Vidal — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:41:41 +0000

Through her public Facebook photo album titled “Venezuela dances to the tune of…”, Carmen Helena González shared pictures of a dance rehearsal in Margarita Island. All the pictures are available here [es] and are accompanied by reflections questioning the presence of political propaganda in an educational setting. As an introduction to the album we find the following comment:

Sentimientos encontrados esta tarde al asistir a este ensayo de danza de un grupo de niñas margariteñas. La belleza de sus caras, la luz de esta tarde y algo que bailaba en el ambiente chocaban con el contexto adoctrinante…

Mixed feelings this afternoon when I went to the rehearsal of a little girl's dance group from Margarita. The beauty of their faces, the light of the afternoon and something that danced around the atmosphere clashed with the indoctrinating context…

Much has been discussed about political and ideological propaganda during the government of President Hugo Chavez. For many, these years represent the entry of Venezuela into a new phase in which its history must be rethought and disseminated. For others, these changes are ideological impositions touching sensitive areas such as education and public administration.

The following pictures were taken during a free dance class in the “Alí Primera” library and illustrate part of the context of this debate:

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Facade of library "Alí Primera". Writing on wall: "With the revolution, Bolivar lives!" Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

A collection of cuatros (a typical Venezuelan instrument) with images of some of the most important icons of the Bolivarian Revolution: Alí Primera, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Karl Marx, among others. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Posters of recent election campaigns and political messages supporting the Bolivarian Revolution. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Global Online Community Protests U.S. Anti-Piracy Bills

Jillian C. York — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:39:16 +0000

Today, January 18, is an important day for the Internet. Corporate websites, from Google to Twitpic, along with civil society groups and individuals, have all joined together in a common cause: to protest two American bills that could have grave effects for global online free expression.

As Global Voices' Executive Director Ivan Sigal has written, “there are powerful corporate and government forces who would prefer to see the openness and accessibility of the web restricted.” The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) would both force websites to pro-actively censor potentially copyrighted information, and could, as Sigal wrote, “inflict broad damage on the work of digital activists living under repressive regimes, as well as restrict basic speech freedoms around the world.”

Because these bills have the potential to affect Internet users worldwide, members of the global community have joined Americans in protest. From German digital rights group Netzpolitik to Open Media Canada to individual bloggers and social media users, the sentiment is the same: Stop these bills.

Blacking out

French site https://linuxfr.org goes dark against #SOPA

Many sites have chosen to express their opposition by blacking out their sites, either entirely or with an interstitial page. Danica Radovanovic (@DanicaR), writing for Australian blog network DejanSEO, discusses Wikipedia's decision to join the blackout, a decision that affects the site's diverse global community:

Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a “blackout” of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.

French organization La Quadrature du Net has joined its American counterparts in blacking out its website, displaying the following image:

The Pirate Party of Catalunya blacks out in solidarity

Pirate parties are among the most stringent opponents of the anti-piracy bills. In Spain, Catalunya, Switzerland, Argentina, Canada, and Sweden (among, almost certainly, many others), local pirate parties have joined in blacking out their websites.

Also blacking out for January 18 are Germany's Chaos Computer Club and Green Party, and international organization Reporters Without Borders. The latter explained its decision, writing:

We have decided to close our English-language website for 24 hours to symbolize the oppressive gag that would spread over the Internet as we know it if SOPA and PIPA are adopted. These bills would affect an incalculable number of Internet users who are innocent of any kind of intellectual property violation by forcing websites to block access to other sites suspected of vaguely-defined copyright breaches.

For more images of sites blacking out in protest, check out Netzpolitik's SOPA blackout gallery.

Translating the importance of activism

In some countries, bloggers have taken it upon themselves to educate their communities about the importance of opposing SOPA and PIPA. Lebanese blogger Mireille Raad has written an explanation for why Lebanese citizens should care about these bills. She writes:

Being a lebanese, doesn’t stop you from being an internet user – the SOPA will affect the internet in a bad way and it involves websites outside the US, and that’s yours…

…You should care and be pissed of, because, like it or not, the internet doesn’t exist in the clouds, it is made of companies that exist in countries and have to answer to local laws despite the fact that internet is “global”. This fact is making people worldwide care about the SOPA legislation – and even though you may feel powerless, you still should care and take online action – because all citizens in cyberspace are created equal and so their actions resonate equally

An earlier post Taiwanese freedom of information activist CK Hung dubs the anti-piracy bills “The Great Firewall of Chinamerica.” In a graphic [zh], the blogger demonstrates his point:

Edit: An English version of the graphic is also available:

He also writes:

掌權者很樂意用「保護智財」或「阻絕色情」、「和諧社會」當做永遠不可能吃到口的誘餌來說服公民支持其強化管制網路的法律和政策 (例如選擇便利管制的工具)，然後藉由這些法律和政策來強化它對公民的資訊監控。掌權者很樂意公民只看見海市蜃樓，卻忽略通往海市蜃樓的道路上，威脅著社會自由民主的 collateral damages。不論最終的掌權者到底是微軟、蘋果、共產黨、民主黨、還是共和黨，受害的永遠都是絕大多數的公民。

Those in power are happy with the “protection of intellectual property” or “denial of sex,” “harmonious society” as a bait that can never feed the mouth to convince citizens to support their policy and legal acts that will strengthen the control over the web (eg, choosing tools to facilitate the control) . And then by these laws and policies they can strengthen its monitoring of citizens' information. Those in power are happy that citizens see only a mirage, but ignore the road to the mirage are the collateral damages threatening the free and democratic society. No matter who the ultimate rulers in the end are–Microsoft, Apple, the Communist Party, the Democratic Party or Republican Party– the vast majority of victims are always the citizens.

而臺灣，正是這兩大監控勢力交會處的絕佳實驗場所。

And Taiwan is the testing ground right at the intersection of these two great monitoring forces.

Global Voices' own Venezuelan contributor Marianne Diaz explains why she doesn't like the bills [es]:

De cualquier modo, Estados Unidos no es el mundo, y las leyes de propiedad intelectual tienen limitaciones territoriales y varían de país a país. Por ejemplo, en Venezuela, la obra entra en dominio público sesenta años después de la muerte del autor. Sin embargo, mediante la aplicación de SOPA y PIPA, Estados Unidos pretende que a mí, a ti y a cualquier siberiano se le pueda forzar a cumplir unas limitaciones que no le son aplicables de acuerdo a la ley.

…Anyway, America is not the world, and intellectual property laws are territorial limitations and vary from country to country. For example, in Venezuela, the work enters the public domain sixty years after the author's death. However, by applying SOPA and PIPA, the United States wants me, you and any Siberian to be forced to comply with constraints that do not apply according to [local] law.

On Twitter, similar conversations are happening. From the UK, @GokhanKaratay writes:

I really do hope #SOPA and #PIPA bills aren't passed through the senate. Legislation against piracy is needed, but that really isn't the way

Pointing out the participation of Argentine video platform Cuevana, @Gaby_xoa points out:

#Cuevana uniéndose al apagón #ANTISOPA que cuarta la libre expresión!!! twitpic.com/88nzkg

#Cuevana is joining the #ANTISOPA blackout [against the bill that] restricts free expression!

What you can do to stop SOPA and PIPA

Although the international community is limited in how they can affect an American bill, the solidarity expressed in opposition to both bills is certainly helpful to U.S.-based activists. Aside from the aforementioned examples, bloggers have found numerous creative ways to do so, such as adding an anti-SOPA or anti-PIPA Twibbon or blacking out their WordPress blog. Fight for the Future is encouraging the international community to sign a petition to the State Department. But just writing about the implications of the two bills can help.

American citizens, on the other hand, have plenty of options. Here are just a few ways to get involved:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a petition as well as a guide to meeting with representatives.
Fight for the Future's Stop American Censorship project is hosting a letter-writing campaign.
Free Press has a campaign to petition television networks to report on the bills.

Venezuela: Interview with Luis Carlos Díaz on Cyber Attacks

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:58:19 +0000

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas [es] has published an interview with journalist and Global Voices contributor Luis Carlos Díaz, who has been repeatedly harassed and threatened by hackers.

Venezuela: The Impact of Social Networks

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:37:11 +0000

In an essay for Centro Gumilla [es], researcher Raisa Urribarri analyzes the impact of social networks, online citizen participation and other changes in the field of alternative communication in Venezuela.

Venezuela: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Visit Raises Controversy

Marianne Díaz Hernández — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:40:31 +0000

Iran's President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, arrived in Venezuela on Sunday January 8, 2012, in his first stop in a tour that will continue to Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador. His visit has sparked strong reactions on social networks, where users are questioning whether his presence might be of some benefit for the nation.

On Twitter, some criticize Ahmadinejad's presence and the welcoming he received by the Venezuelan government. Luis Carlos Díaz (@LuisCarlos) [es] writes:

Dice mucho del Ministerio de la Mujer su no-pronunciamiento sobre la visita de Ahmadineyad

Its non-pronouncement about Ahmadineyad's visit says a lot about the Women's Ministry.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, image by Flick user Parmida Rahimi (CC BY 2.0)

Blogger Carlos Bauza (@CarlosBauza) [es] suggests that Ahmadinejad's visit might have influence over the upcoming Venezuelan presidential elections, while Garcilaso Pumar (@garcilasop) [es] tweets:

Mahmud Ahmadinejad es un tirano retrogrado, asesino y misógino. Chávez es un imbécil que le ilusiona ser todo eso. #Coneldebidorespeto

Mahmud Ahmadinejad is a retrograde tyrant, murderer and misogynist. Chávez is a fool who is excited about being all that. #withallduerespect

Others are using the hashtag #FueraAhmadinejadDeVzla to demand Iran's President leave the country. User @PericoRipeado24, for example, criticizes Ahmadinejad's sense of justice:

#FueraAhmadinejadDeVzla Porque tu justicia se ve en la horca, cuando tu pueblo roba es para comer

#OutAhmadinejadfromVzla Because your justice is done by hanging, when your people only steal to eat.

Meanwhile, netizens who support President Chávez tweeted welcoming Ahmadinejad:

@BasemTajeldine: Merece un reconocimiento la valentía d Ahmadineyad al visitar Vzla, Cuba, Nicarg y Ecu, antes “patio trasero” d USA, hoy paises soberanos

Ahmadinejad's courage to visit Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ecuador deserves recognition, yesterday [these countries were] the “backyard” of USA, today [they are] sovereign countries.

@JustoBustamante: BIENVENIDO MAHMUD AHMADINEJAD PRESIDENTE REPÚBLICA ISLAMICA DE IRÁN Lider de la Revolución Iraní. LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS VENEZOLANOS te saludan

Welcome Mahmud Ahmadinejad President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Leader of the Iranian Revolution. Venezuelans Revolutionaries salute you.

@CarlosRFrancoM: Camarada Mahmud Ahmadinejad bienvenido a la tierra de Bolívar, patria libre, soberana y socialista… ¡Que chillen los escuálidos!

Comrade Mahmud Ahmadinejad welcome to the land of Bolivar, free country, sovereign and socialist… Let the squalid [opposition] shriek!

This is Ahmadinejad's fifth visit to Caracas. After joking about “big atomic bombs“, his visit ended on Monday January 9, with the signing of a series of bilateral agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding of technological cooperation for training in nanoscience and nanotechnology and the exchange of teachers in this field.

Venezuela: Netizens Threatened, Hacked

Silvia Viñas — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:47:41 +0000

Naky Soto Parra, in her blog El Zaperoco de Naky [es], posts a message by Global Voices contributor Luis Carlos Díaz, who has been receiving threats for his online activity. Luis Carlos explains that the threats and cyber-attacks come from hackers who target netizens that criticize the government. He calls these hackers and their attacks “the dirty face of the political battle in this election year.”